Poppies & Paddle-boarding ~ Happy Birthday Tilly

To have a five year old dog is a strange feeling… I can’t fathom that she is half a decade old, but also can’t quite imagine what life was like before she came along. ❤️️ Tilly’s 5th year on the planet – has been packed with lots of beach days, making time to see friends for dog friendly adventures, and of course posing for the annoying human!

Last year, when Tilly turned 4 we were away in Cornwall. This year we were home in Hampshire… and so were the poppies! I had given up hope of finding poppies locally, after a good few years of being eluded by the fields of red.

But this year I found the most beautiful, densely packed Poppy field in peak bloom 5 minutes from home! 🥀 With Tilly’s Birthday the next day.. a celebratory photo shoot was the only thing to do!

Paddle-boarding on the River Avon

One of our favourite dog shops, The Dog House now hosts paddle boarding classes for dogs and their owners. As soon as I saw their post on Instagram I immediately signed us up!

🚗 The morning of Tilly’s Birthday we made the hours drive to the picturesque Bradford Upon Avon and met up with the STINKINGLY CUTE Mitzi & Heidi (@thesomersetsausage) and their awesome owners.

Paddle-boarding has been on my list of things to try since forever… I was inspired after seeing so many of our friends take to the water… After getting kitted out, and a quick demonstration by our instructors, we were ready to go. 🏄‍♀️

I was a little anxious that Tilly would be fearful, or become stressed at the new experience, as she’s not one to launch herself into water. 💧 Thankfully this played to my advantage, and (with no obvious signs of stress) Tilly stayed relatively still on the board, meaning we both managed to stay dry!

Shout out to my brother, and the staff at The Dog House for being on camera duty!

I was so proud of Tilly, who after being coaxed on to the board, took it all in her stride. She was happy to wear a dog life-jacket, and accepted treats gladly on the board. It was heart warming to watch her take in the sights, sounds and smells of the river – can’t beat a bit of fish & bird watching! 🎣

One thing I hadn’t quite anticipated was that – to the general public… WE LOOKED A LITTLE CRAZY. Maybe it was the procession through the streets of a (rather varied) gang of dogs in life-jackets that drew a few on-lookers? 👀

If you’re looking for a new activity to try out with your dog, I highly recommend giving paddle-boarding a go. Being on the river was really therapeutic, and I hope it’s not too long before we’re back on the water. 🏄‍♀️ I’m told it’s very good for the core!

Above: Tilly – wishing she had a fishing rod.

The Dog House are aiming to run more Pups on Sups (Stand Up Paddle-board) classes in future, so keep an eye out.

*In the interest of disclosure; none of the above mentioned content is paid or collaborative. Simply sharing an experience we loved.

Thanks so much for reading about our latest adventure, would you and your dog enjoy paddle-boarding?